NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 8: Early Look for Eliminator Winners

This will be the last of our weekly NFL Preseason previews. Since this will be a very challenging season with some tough weeks early, we decided to look ahead in the schedule to map out the first half of the season. This week we will look at NFL Survivor Pool picks for Week 8. We have previewed Weeks 1 through 7 already on our Web site, and you can look through previous posts for all the info. Of course, we will give Week 8 a proper analysis in late October after Week 7 and provided detailed commentary and predictions.

I will go down the list of games in chronological order and comment on any that seem noteworthy for Survivor Pools. Of course, a lot can change between now and Week 8, so our thoughts will likely change a lot by the time we get to Week 8.

NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 8

New England vs. Miami (Thursday night): Right off the bat we have a game that will probably be a popular Survivor Pool pick for Week 8. Since Tom Brady could be suspended as many as four games to start the season, many pool players will have avoided using New England early. The Patriots are a better team than the Dolphins, but many people are naming Miami as a team that could make some noise this season. If I still had the Patriots available I would definitely consider them for Week 8, but I think there are better options on the board, and I try to avoid Thursday games as the short rest can make the results even more unpredictable than normal (although the short rest normally favors the home team).

Kansas City vs. Detroit (London game): Just wanted to mention this one as I always stay away from the international NFL games when making my Survivor Pool picks. Too much unpredictability because of the travel, and there is no true home team, although Kansas City is the listed “home” team here, giving up a true home game to play internationally.

Atlanta vs. Tampa Bay: The Falcons had a down year last season but should be better this year with a new coach and new culture. Despite their lousy record, they were 5-1 inside the division. And Tampa Bay was 0-6 in the NFC South and is breaking in a rookie QB this year. And you have to say the sweep of Tampa was one of the highlights of the season for the Falcons as both wins were by double-digits, including a 56-14 beatdown here in Atlanta. This looks like a very solid pick.

Houston vs. Tennessee: I don’t think Houston is a great team this year. Good, but not great. I see them winning 8 or 9 games with a ceiling of 10. I think the Titans will be a team to fade all season, although a couple NFL handicappers I know have them winning 6 or 7 games. But I expect the Texans to take care of business here at home. The Titans lost both games to Houston last year by double-digits, and Tennessee looks to be in tough this year with a rookie QB.

So this looks like another tough week on paper. Of course, the NFL scenery will change by Week 8 and there will be under- and over-achieving teams. Check back in late October for a comprehensive look at NFL Survivor Pool picks for Week 8.